, 1887-05-19


living present, heart within and God
! o'erhead.'
The salvation that Christ brings to
man is not from hell but from sin. 1t
is not a residence bu. an experience. it
is not a work done for us but by us,
through the example, spirit and pre-
cept of Christ. He came to bring the
kingdom of God upon earth, and that
it might be in us, His mission was
not to save souls from II pit of
endless fire, but now and here to make
n virtuous, saved and happy world.
Life is worth just as much here as any
where. Acts should be their own re-
ward. BY doing our best we make
sure OF the present, and If life contin-
ues, as We firmly believe, then are we
in line for whatever the future has in
store. Here, there, everywhere, we
should do right for it's own sake, no
matter the consequence. We should
not hire Others or ourselves to be Just,
kind, good. There should be no barter
with the soul. Let us not darkcn prin-
ciple by driving hard bargains in
thrones, crowns, and upper seats in the
realms unseen. What is truly ours will
come to us in all worlds; it robs
no one and suits us the better.
The soul OF christianity may be en-
pressed,in one word 1t is unselfish-
ness. The true christian life is the un-
selfish life. He who is striving to help
others and to be useful to those around
him is II true follower of the man of
Nazareth, and only he "Many sheep
have | who know me not by name, yet
are they all known of me,
and not one of them is
forgotten OF my Father" Christianity
means the truest culture, the restraint
of the appetites and passions, and the
evolution of the higher powers. 1t
means the cultivation Of everything
that shall make us finer personalities
more gentle and unselfsh in our
homes, more loving with our wives
and children, more upright and down
right in our business relations, more
manly everywhere. Said the wisest and
! best of modern men: "The true
and perfected man is he who will not do
anything that his God would be
ashamed to commit"
An English magazine once published
an account OF the wreck of ship off
the coast OF Brazil She was freighted,
in part, with Spanish dubloons packed
in kegs. At first it was hoped to save
these, and they were hoisted up from
the hold upon the deck, but it soon
became plain that the ship was fast
sinking, and the crew were obliged to
take to the boats. Just as the last
boat was about to push off q young
midshipman clambered back to the
deck to make sure that no one was
left by accident to perish. He found
u sailor seated flat on the deck
with hatchct by his side, several
of the money kegs broken
open and both his arms plunged to the
elbows in II heap of gold. "What are
you doing?" shouted the officer, "Get
into the boat for your life, the ship is
sinking" .Let the ship sink" he
answered, al have lived poor wretch
all my life, and | mean to die rich"
He was deaf alike to command and re-
monstrancc. The officer fled to the
vessels side, but turned and cried once
more, 81 tell you the ship is going
down, quick, with me into the boat"
"Go your way, / will never leave my
gold" roared the sailor with the glare
OF insanity in his eyes. In a few mo-
ments the great cold waves of the
ocean were rolling over the rich sailor
and his wealth. Friends, there are
thousands, in all walks of life, who
every day repeat this madman's folly.
Principles, duties, the moral life, in
the eager rush and push Of modern
methods, they sacrifice all for gain.
Not so may it be with us! At any and
every cost, let us be true to our princi-
| pies, do our work, revere our duties,
cherish our highest aspirations, and
refuse to go down with our gold.
Hive form "church." This means
that, as II society, we have "a religious
end in view. But practical religion
always includes morality. So we have
associated ourselves for the
purpose OF better fulfilling GER
tain moral and religious obligations.
These obligations are neither made nor
increased by our association. They
are rooted i'll our nature as human be-
ings, and have created, instead of be-
ing created, by our own society. Wor-
ship enters into our meetings as an
element, but il it be true, it enters as
the spontaneous expression of our
higher humanity Quickened into free
activity; not as an act Of homage re-
quircd by divine command. The free
dom OF worship makes all its worth.
Men and women are drawn together
by sympathy in the highest and purest
sentiments of their common nature,
and when thus assembled, it is nat
ural and reasonable to express the as
pirations of the soul in speech ad-
dressed to the spiritual fatherhood and
motherhood of the universe. 1t is
well to do this, and ut the same time
to remember that the fitful activity of
the religious sentiment cannot be sub
jccted to rigid rule, and that the
larger, deeper, higher worship which